Tacking aligner construction



Aug. 3l, 1965 R. BRIGGs TACKING ALIGNER CONSTRUCTION ug 31, 1965 R. BRIGGs 3,203,386

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Wm. Mm. Wm, A ra J riff a a n 4 n n r QN t: l@ MQ Mm, .5.9m @s Aug. 31, 1965 R. BRIGGS TACKING ALIGNER CONSTRUCTION '7 Sheets-.Sheet 6 Filed June 6, 1962 Aug. 31, 1965 R. BRlGGs TACKING ALIGNER CONSTRUCTION 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 6, 1962 United States Patent() "3,203,386 TACKING ALTGNER CUNSTRUCTION Richard Briggs, Reading, Mass., assigner to Birch Brothers, Inc., Somerville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 6, 1962, 'Ser'. No. 200,439 6 Claims. (Cl. 112-203) This invention relates to a textile machine of the class commonly employed in continuously folding a web of cloth and thereafter sewing or tacking vertical aligned edges of the Afolded material Iin preparation for fulling and other textile finishing operations. More particularly, the

lvertical alignment of folded cloth edges :and very'rapidly carrying out a positioning of the clot-h portions and its edges to compensate for variations in width of stock and deviations iof the edges from a desired path of travel.

Another object of the invention is to combine fluid pressure actuated means in direct connection with conveyor chain means of a machine of the class noted.

Still another object is to devise a combination of parts Which are organized in relation to one another such that all of the power-driven actuated mechanism is protectively housed along one side of the machine and is assembled in such .a manner that correct stability is realized and adjustment and replacement -of parts may be most conveniently carried out.

Still another object is a sensing arrangement which is maintained out of contact with the cloth at all times.

These and other objects and novel features will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following description `of a preferred embodiment of the invent-ion selected Ifor purposes of illustra-tion and shown in the' accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE `1 is a side elevational view of the machine of the invention shown in a typical operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view showing portions of the machine with a web of cloth moving yfrom a folding stand along the tacking aligning mechanism of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is fa fragmentary plan View similar `to FIG- URE 2 but illustrating 4in greater detail portions of the cloth positioning mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of an opposite side of the machine from that shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5--5 of FIGURE il;

FIGURE 6 is another cross section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE? is an-end elevational view;

FIGURE 8 is :an assembly view of components of an edge detector head and supporting brackets therefor; and

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic View of an air-operated detector device for actuating the hydraulic cylinders illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6.

In the structure shown, numerals 2 :and 4 indicate supporting frame ends on which is received `a raised box frame 6. Mounted at the left hand side of the box frame,

`as viewed in FIGURE l, on a stand 8, is a stich'ing head S.

The head S is of conventional type and is adapted to stitch or sew together edges `of a folded fabric F furnished from a lfolding apparatus also of conventional nature as sugested at the left hand `side of FIGURE 2.

The folded fabric F is advanced by the invention method to the stitching head S utilizing specially mounted upper and lower endless `conveyor chain and pin engaging members 10 and 12, best shown in FIGURE 1. These parts are also noted at the lef-t hand side of FIG- URE l, being supported around upper and lower sprocket gea-r means 14 .and 16 on respective shafts 18 and 20. Shaft 18 is solidly supported in bearings 32 and 34 in the frame 6 and has mounted thereon a sprocket gear 22 carrying a sprocket chain 24 which is driven by a small sprocket gear 26 on a belt-driven shaft 28. Shaft 28 is actuated by power driving means 3l). The opposite ends of the conveyor member are mounted in the manner noted below in detail.

Also fixed on shaft 18 in the box frame 6 is a gear 36 which meshes with .another similar gear on shaft 20 and provides for rotation of shaft 2t) in an opposite direction. By 4means of the arrangement described, the driving gears are protectively contained within the box frame 6 with only the single sprocket gear 22 and chain 24 being in an exposed position.

In laccordance with the invention, I combine with the fabric handling apparatus described, a novel hydraulic edge-aligning mechanism which provides for continuously positioning the edges of the folded fabric F by means of hydraulic cylinders operatively connected to the endless conveyor chain members 10 and 12. Cooperating with the hydraulic cylinder is further provided a tension-holding .bar which engages against the cloth `fold and maintains upper and lower folded portion in a fully extended and lightly tensioned state during travel along the machine frame.

yConsidering these parts in greater detail, numerals 40 and 42 denote upper and lower hydraulic cylinders which, as -shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, are transversely dispose-d through the box frame 6. The two hydraulic members are preferably operated by fluid pressure preferably from a flow of oil supplied from a hydraulic pun1ping apparatus 44 shown at the right hand side of FIG- URE 1.

The hydraulic cylinders are arranged with inwardly extending plunger components which extend horizontally away from the box frame as suggested by the plunger component 44 in FIGURE 5. As noted in FIGURE 5 the plunger 44 is connected to the endless chain member l0 by means of a special gear hub and slide means. This includes a split ring member 46 which is clamped around an elongated hub portion 48 slidable on a stub shaft 50 rigidly supported in the box frame 6. The split ring member 46 is formed with an extension or tongue 52 having an opening into which a threaded end of the plunger 44 is engaged. At its outer extremity the tongue 52 has a collar 54 which is slidable on another stub shaft 56 and by this structure the split ring means is obviously held against rotation as the hubs 4S rotate with their sprocket assemblies and conveyor chain and pin means: It will also be noted that the conveyor and pin means are relatively spaced at their point of engagement with the marginal edges to the cloth from the folding stand and gradually converge toward other ends to bring the cloth edges together for the stitching operation. When the plunger 44 is actuated, the elongated hub 48 and extension collar 54 move on respective shafts 50 `and 56, Ithus extending or retracting the endless chain member 10 into any desired location which may be required to align a top edge 60 (FIGURE 6) of the folded fabric F with a bottom edge 62. A similar positioning operation may be accomplished with the lower horizontal cylinder 42 by means of similar split ring and hub parts bearing similar but primed numerals as indicated in FIGURE 6.

Operation of the hydraulic cylinders by flow of oil or other fluid into the cylinder chambers is controlled by means of pneumatic sensing devices. These devices are arranged to detect, without contact with the cloth, minute deviations of the upper and lower fabric edges from predetermined paths of travel which normally occur in true vertical alignment. The sensing devices may be of any desired type such as the air-operated edge detector apparatus illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 9 and includes upper and lower sensing heads 66 and 68 which are formed with special air gaps. One of the air sensing heads is shown in FIGURE 8, together with upper and lower holding brackets 70 and 72 which connect the heads to respective hub portions of the conveyor chain as suggested in FIGURE 5.

As will be observed from an inspection of FIGURE 5, the sensing heads are arranged so that fabric edges pass through detector gaps of the air sensing heads without contact being made at any time. The cloth edge 60 for example, illustrated at the right hand side of FIGURE 5, is shown passing through the gap of sensing head 66. In a correctly aligned position of one edge with respect to the other, location of one sensing head is indicated diagrammatically in FIGURE 9. At such time a stream of compressed air passes through an opening 78, across the gap, through an opening 79, and then to a diaphragm 80 which is connected by a link 82 to a relay valve stem 88. Also connected to the valve stem is an adjusting spring 86. The position of the diaphragm 80 in response to variation in pressure varies the position of the valve 88 to control ow of fluid into one end or the other of the hydraulic cylinder 40. Similarly a second sensing head will control the cylinder 42.

It will be observed that with this arrangement whenever an edge of cloth extends across the stream of air so as to partly or entirely shut off this ow of air, the diaphragm is actuated causing the valve to change position and allow the cylinder to operate so as to force the chain into a position whereby the edge becomes realigned.

The apparatus indicated diagrammatically in FIGURE 9 is further shown in detail in FIGURES l, 3, 4 and 7 wherein the diaphragm unit 80 is indicated at the upper side of frame 6 controlling the hydraulic cylinder 40, and a second diaphragm unit 80 is indicated at the lower side of the box frame for controlling cylinder 42.

In operation oil is furnished from the pump 44 to the two relay valve units V and V from which oil is selectively passed through conduits 40a and 42a to hydraulic cylinders 40 and 42. Compressed air from a suitable source is introduced through inlets A and A to filters H and H, then to pressure regulators P and P and then to the sensing heads 66 and 68. Interruption of air flow in either head operates one or the other of the diaphragms and a change in position of the hydraulic cylinder takes place.

In further cooperation with the air sensing means and the hydraulic cylinders, I also provide a tension-holding bar arrangement which operates to maintain the folded portion of cloth in a stretched condition while still permitting the edge positioning to take place. As shown in FIGURE 3, I provide a tension bar 90 which consists of an elongated shoe member curved at one end and rigidly supported on two thrust rods 92 and 94. These thrust rods are slidably received in respective sleeves 96 and 98 as indicated in FIGURE 5, which sleeves are detachably contained in elongated hubs 100 and 102. At opposite extremities of the rods 92 and 94 are respective arms 104 and 106 to which are attached cords 108, 110 running over pulleys 112 and 114 and having suspended therefrom Weights 116 and 118.

It will be apparent that the tension bar will operate to maintain the upper and lower folded cloth portions in a constant state of tension while at the same time permiting the conveyor chain and engaged cloth edges to be positioned whenever a misalignment occurs. Moreover, both of these operations are accomplished with the air sensing heads precisely controlling all deviations with no contact with the cloth. As a result of these several movements acting in cooperative relationship to one another it becomes possible to carry out a faster and more accurate control of the cloth edges and consequently much faster aligning and tacking is realized.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various changes and `modications may be resorted to in keeping with the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tacking aligner machine comprising a frame, a folding stand arranged at one end of the frame for engaging a web of cloth and continuously forming it into a folded length, a stitching means at the other end of the frame, conveyor chain and pin means mounted on sprockets along one side of the frame for receiving the folded cloth from said folding stand and aligning its marginal edges, said conveyor and pin means consisting of upper and lower components for engaging respective upper and lower edges of the folded length of cloth and advancing said edges to the stitching means, vertically aligned sprockets and sprocket mounting means for the conveyor chains and pin means at the cloth delivering end of said frame, means for driving said sprockets, a rst pair of horizontally arranged vertically displaced parallel stub shafts mounted on the end portion of said frame adjacent said folding stand, sprockets and sprocket hub mounting means for said chains and pin means slidably mounted on said stub shafts, a second pair of stub shafts xedly mounted on said frame and extending parallel to and spaced from the rst pair of stub shafts, ring means operably positioned about each of said hub means, said ring means each including a projecting portion terminating in a c ollar member slidably positioned on an adjacent second stub shaft, cloth edge sensing means mounted upon said ring members and positioned forwardly of said conveyors and pins means and responsive to change in position of the cloth edges, and hydraulic operated means mounted on the frame and connected to said ring member, and means actuated by the sensing means for operating said hydraulic means to move said ring means and sliding sprockets to position said chain and pin means for engaging said cloth in accordance with said sensing means.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which the iiuid pressure actuated means is comprised by hydraulic cylinder members and said hydraulic cylinders having horizontally reciprocating plungers which are operatively connected to the said conveyor chains.

3. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which the edge detector mechanism includes a pair of pneumatic sensing heads constructed and arranged to overlie the free edges of the folded cloth portions and conduct a ow of air in non-aligning relationship to the said edegs and means responsive to change in ow of air in said sensing heads for operating said pressure actuated means.

4. A structure according to claim 1 in which the fabric tensioning bar means is provided including an elongated shoe, transverse rod members attached to the bar and slidably supported in the frame and weight means attached to said rods for urging the shoe against the folded cloth in any portion of the said edges, said weight means including pulley member supported in the frame and weighted cords running over the pulleys attached to arms on said rods.

5. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the hydraulic means mounted on the frame and connected to the ring means comprises cylinders fixed to the frame and pistons in the cylinders connected to the ring members, the pistons being operable by uid pressure controlled by the valve operated by the sensing means.

6. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the conveyor and pin means are spaced apart at their receiving ends adjacent the folding means and converge toward their oposite ends to bring the marginal edges of the cloth 10 close together for the stitching operation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,231,010 6/43 ICohn 112-2X Smyth 112-230 McClearly et al 242-57.1 Cloutier 112-63 Ziebolz 242-57.1

Judelson 112-63 X Markey 242-57.1 Iudelson 112--203 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. THOMAS I. HICKEY, Examiner. 

1. A TACKING ALIGNER MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A FOLDING STAND ARRANGED AT ONE END OF THE FRAME FOR ENGAGING A WEB OF CLOTH AND CONTINUOUSLY FORMING IT INTO A FOLDED LENGTH, A STITCHING MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF THE FRAME, CONVEYOR CHAIN AND PIN MEANS MOUNTED ON SPROCKETS ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE FRAME FOR RECEIVING THE FOLDED CLOTH FROM SAID FOLDING STAND AND ALIGNING ITS MARGINAL EDGES, SAID CONVEYOR AND PIN MEANS CONSISTING OF UPPER AND LOWER COMPONENTS FOR ENGAGING RESPECTIVE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF THE FOLDED LENGTH OF CLOTH AND ADVANCING SAID EDGES TO THE STITCHING MEANS, VERTICALLY ALIGNED SPROCKETS AND SPROCKET MOUNTING MEANS FOR THE CONVEYOR CHAINS AND PIN MEANS AT THE CLOTH DELIVERING END OF SAID FRAME, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID SPROCKETS, A FIRST PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED VERTICALLY DISPLACED PARALLEL STUB SHAFTS MOUNTED ON THE END PORTION OF SAID FRAME ADJACENT SAID FOLDING STAND, SPROCKETS AND SPROCKET HUB MOUNTING MEANS FOR SAID CHAINS AND PIN MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID STUB SHAFTS, A SECOND PAIR OF SUB SHAFTS FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM THE FIRST PAIR OF STUB SHAFTS, RING MEANS OPERABLY POSITIONED ABOUT EACH OF SAID HUB MEANS, SAID RING MEANS EACH INCLUDING A PROJECTING PORTION TERMINATING IN A COLLAR MEMBER SLIDABLY POSITIONED ON AN ADJACENT SECOND STUB SHAFT, CLOTH EDGE SENSING MEANS MOUNTED UPON SAID RING MEMBERS AND POSITIONED FORWARDLY OF SAID CONVEYORS AND PINS MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO CHANGE IN POSITION OF THE CLOTH EDGES, AND HYDRAULIC OPERATED MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME AND CONNECTED TO SAID RING MEMBER, AND MEANS ACTUATED BY THE SENSING MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID HYDRAULIC MEANS TO MOVE SAID RING MEANS AND SLIDING SPROCKETS TO POSITION SAID CHIN AND PIN MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID CLOTH IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAID SENSING MEANS. 